Your household is the employer · Geneva
Senior home help in Geneva: your household's duties as employer
This page is for a household whose Helper for senior home help does work like this:
- Companionship at home
- Light household help
- Meal preparation support
- Errands and appointment support
- Routine check-in visits
What does a household that employs a Helper for senior home help in Geneva have to do?
- Register your Helper with Office cantonal des assurances sociales, Caisse genevoise de compensation within 30 days of the first working day under the simplified settlement procedure.
- Pay a Helper for senior home help without a qualification at least CHF 24.59 an hour, plus holiday pay. The Geneva standard contract for domestic work sets this legal minimum.
- Give at least 4 weeks of paid holidays a year. For irregular work only, add 8.33 % holiday pay to every hour, written in the contract and shown on each payslip; the holidays are still taken.
- Pay social insurance (AHV/IV/EO), unemployment insurance and family allowance contributions, and insure your Helper against accidents.
- The Geneva standard contract requires the household to take out daily sickness benefit insurance (Art. 13 rsGE J 1 50.03).
- Notice to end the employment must be in writing and signed (art. 23 al. 2 CTT-EDom).
What differs in Geneva
- For a Helper for senior home help in Geneva, the canton's own standard contract applies instead of the federal one: at least CHF 24.59 an hour without a qualification.
- The Geneva standard contract asks for more in writing:
- Keep a record of the hours worked and the rest days (Art. 10bis para. 3 CTT-EDom, rsGE J 1 50.03).
- Geneva sets its own rule for work on a public holiday:
- Each hour worked on a public holiday carries at least 50 % more. Your Helper chooses to take it as pay, or as paid time off equal to the hours worked plus the same share.
- On a monthly salary, your Helper gets a paid day off within 4 weeks before or after each public holiday worked.
Source: Contrat-type de travail de l'économie domestique (CTT-EDom), rsGE J 1 50.03, read on 28 September 2026
- From 1 January 2027, a Helper for senior home help in Geneva has a legal minimum of CHF 24.73 an hour.
The lowest hourly wage for a Helper for senior home help in Geneva in 2026
| Qualification | Lowest hourly wage |
|---|---|
| No qualification | CHF 24.59 · Geneva standard contract for domestic work By law: CHF 24.59, Geneva standard contract for domestic work |
| At least four years of household experience | CHF 24.85 · Geneva standard contract for domestic work By law: CHF 24.85, Geneva standard contract for domestic work |
| Three year certificate (EFZ) | CHF 25.11 · Geneva standard contract for domestic work By law: CHF 25.11, Geneva standard contract for domestic work |
From 1 January 2027
| Qualification | Lowest hourly wage |
|---|---|
| No qualification | CHF 24.73 · Geneva minimum wage law By law: CHF 24.73, Geneva minimum wage law |
| At least four years of household experience | CHF 24.85 · Helpore Admin's own floor, not a legal minimum · provisional until the new figure is published By law: CHF 24.73, Geneva minimum wage law |
| Three year certificate (EFZ) | CHF 25.11 · Helpore Admin's own floor, not a legal minimum · provisional until the new figure is published By law: CHF 24.73, Geneva minimum wage law |
Contributions in Geneva in 2026: who pays what
| Contribution | Rate | Household pays | Deducted from the Helper's wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| AHV/IV/EO | 5.3 % | CHF 62.05 | CHF 62.05 |
| Unemployment insurance (ALV) | 1.1 % | CHF 12.90 | CHF 12.90 |
| Family allowance fund (FAK) | 2.22 % | CHF 26.00 | CHF 0.00 |
| Compensation office administration costs | At most 5 % of all AHV/IV/EO contributions | At most CHF 6.20 | At most CHF 0.00 |
| Maternity insurance GE | 0.029 % | CHF 0.35 | CHF 0.35 |
| Vocational training TFP GE | 0.082 % | CHF 0.95 | CHF 0.00 |
| Early childhood contribution CPE GE | 0.07 % | CHF 0.80 | CHF 0.00 |
| Total | At most CHF 109.25 | At most CHF 75.30 |
a month · CHF 37.14 per hour worked
| Wage | CHF 1’040.00 |
|---|---|
| Public holidays 3.9 % | CHF 40.56 |
| Holiday pay 8.33 % | CHF 90.01 |
| Employer contributions | At most CHF 109.25 |
| Accident insurance | CHF 7.55 |
| You pay a month | At most CHF 1’287.37 |
How many weeks of paid holidays does a Helper get in the canton of Geneva, and what applies on public holidays?
At least 4 weeks of paid holidays a year, and 5 weeks in these cases:
- under age 20
- after 20 years with the same household
- from age 50, after 5 years with the same household
Source: CTT-EDom, rsGE J 1 50.03, art. 21 al. 1, art. 7 al. 2, art. 19 al. 3 et 5, read on 9 October 2026.
Probation and notice in Geneva
Probation: 1 month.
Notice during probation: 7 days.
Notice after probation
- Year 1 of service: 1 month, to the end of a month.
- Years 2 to 9 of service: 2 months, to the end of a month.
- From year 10 of service: 3 months, to the end of a month.
Write the notice and sign it, as art. 23 al. 2 CTT-EDom requires.
Standard contract and offices
- Standard contract: contrat-type de travail avec salaires minimaux impératifs de l'économie domestique (CTT-EDom), rsGE J 1 50.03
- Compensation office: Office cantonal des assurances sociales, Caisse genevoise de compensation, Genève
Cities in Geneva
- Geneva
More for households in Geneva
- Cleaning and housekeeping in Geneva: your duties as employer
- Childcare in Geneva: your duties as employer
- Household help in Geneva: the canton guide
- Senior home help and companionship: the rules across Switzerland
- How to register household help in Switzerland
Neighbouring cantons
Optional help with the paperwork: Helpore Admin files it for you, Helpore Admin Light prepares it
You have someone and stay in control
Helpore Admin Light
CHF 15.90 per month
Your month at 8 h and CHF 30.00CHF 1’303.27
- Your Helper's payslip every month
- Contributions worked out to the rappen
- Every document in order
You have someone and want it fully handled
Helpore Admin
CHF 23.90 per month
Your month at 8 h and CHF 30.00CHF 1’311.27
- Registration of the employment
- Monthly payroll, payslips and contributions
- Insurance administration and the year end statement
Your household is the employer. Both plans are optional, and Helpers never pay a fee.
Questions about employing a Helper for senior home help in Geneva
What is the lowest hourly wage for a Helper for senior home help in Geneva in 2026?
Without a qualification, CHF 24.59 an hour plus holiday pay: the legal minimum under the Geneva standard contract for domestic work.
How much paid holiday does a Helper for senior home help get in Geneva?
At least 4 weeks a year. Holiday pay of 8.33 % on every hour: irregular work only, written in the contract and on each payslip; the holidays are still taken.
How much notice does the household give a Helper for senior home help in Geneva?
During probation, the notice is 7 days; in the first year of service, 1 month to the end of a month. After that, the notice grows with the years of service. In Geneva, notice has to be written and signed.
What must the household put in writing in Geneva?
The Geneva standard contract adds written duties to the federal rules; this page lists each one with its article.
Which rule sets the lowest wage for a Helper for senior home help in Geneva?
CHF 24.59 an hour: Geneva standard contract for domestic work.
Does the lowest wage for a Helper for senior home help change on 1 January 2027?
No qualification: CHF 24.73 an hour. At least four years of household experience: CHF 24.73 an hour. CHF 24.85 an hour: Helpore Admin's own floor, not a legal minimum. Three year certificate (EFZ): CHF 24.73 an hour. CHF 25.11 an hour: Helpore Admin's own floor, not a legal minimum.
What family allowance rate does the household pay in Geneva?
2.22 % of the gross wage, paid by the household.
Does the household need daily sickness benefit insurance in Geneva?
Yes. The contrat-type de travail avec salaires minimaux impératifs de l'économie domestique (CTT-EDom) requires the household to take it out (Art. 13 rsGE J 1 50.03).
Which standard contract for household work applies in Geneva?
contrat-type de travail avec salaires minimaux impératifs de l'économie domestique (CTT-EDom), rsGE J 1 50.03.